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bharat bandh

On September 10, 2018, the Indian National Congress Party (INC) called for a nation-wide Bharat Bandh to protest against the rising fuel prices in the country. Leaders of various opposition parties led by Congress president Rahul Gandhi started their protest from Rajghat in national capital.

On April 2, 2018 dalit organisations in North India called for a Bharat Bandh in order to protest Supreme Court's dilution of the
SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Five states witnessed violence as protesters tried to enforce the bandh. Train services were hit in parts of Bihar, Odisha, Punjab and Rajasthan.

This bandh was enforced after the Supreme Court on March 20 banned automatic arrests and registration of criminal cases under the SC/ST Act, which triggered widespread criticism and outcry from the dalit community. The community feared that dilution of the act might lead to increase in violence against Dalits. After holding agitations over a few days to protest against the top court's ruling on the SC/ST Act, several dalit outfits called for a Bharat Bandh on April 2.

A delegation of dalit lawmakers was scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the same day to apprise him of the issues concerning the SCs and STs, including the unhappiness among the community over the apex court verdict on SC/ST Act.